Responders Remove Fuel From Grounded Tug

After a week of harsh weather, responders were finally able to remove fuel from a tug that grounded off the Alaska Peninsula.

The Polar Wind was carrying about 20,000 gallons of diesel when it — and the barge it was towing — ended up on the rocks. About 6,000 gallons were lost after the accident, but there have been no reports of oiled animals.

According to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the weather quieted down Friday, and a salvage team was able to lighter almost all of the remaining fuel over the weekend. The team also recovered 1.5 million pounds of frozen seafood.

Now that the response team is wrapping up their oil spill mitigation efforts, they’re hoping the weather stays calm enough for them to start salvaging the vessels.